Trump faces potential conflict with National Academies over endorsement of endangerment finding.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, an independent institution founded during the Lincoln administration, has released a highly anticipated report on clima change. The report, which was solicited in response to a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to overturn the 2009 endangerment finding, states that the increase in Earth's temperature is putting people's health and welfare at risk.
The report reaffirms that human use of fossil fuels is warming the planet, a conclusion that is supported by a diverse panel of contributors, including former Trump administration officials and researchers with ties to the fossil fuel industry. However, the DOE report on clima change, which was crafted in secret and without following federal transparency laws, includes just five authors, all of whom are known contrarians on the subject of mainstream clima science.
This discrepancy has led to a heated debate, with the National Academies' report being criticized by the Trump administration as a partisan act. A federal judge in the District of Massachusetts rebuked the DOE for the way its report was crafted as part of a lawsuit brought by environmental groups.
The 2009 endangerment finding made clear that greenhouse gases pose a threat to human health, and the National Academies' report strengthens this claim with new evidence. The report states that the increase in Earth's temperature is causing a range of health issues, from heat-related illnesses and deaths to increased air pollution and respiratory diseases.
The National Academies is funded by a mix of federal sources, private foundations, individuals, and corporations. The National Academies' report on clima change was also funded by a diverse group of sources, including federal sources, private foundations, individuals, and corporations.
In light of the federal research cuts and elimination of contracts, which may lead to layoffs of about 250 of the National Academies' 1,100 employees, the importance of independent research institutions like the National Academies cannot be overstated. Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences, emphasized the importance of a diversity of viewpoints from industry and academia to ensure the best available research is reviewed.
Dr. John P. Holdren, the author referred to in the report, chaired the review committee for the National Academies' report on clima change. Shirley Tilghman, a molecular biologist and former Princeton University president, also served on the committee.
As the debate over clima change continues, the National Academies' report provides a comprehensive and evidence-based assessment of the current state of clima science. It is hoped that this report will contribute to informed policy-making and help protect the health and welfare of people around the world.
